Siren's Call in Rhode Island

Oct. 31, 2013 11:47 a.m. ET

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Cherry Arnold's family has been vacationing at this home in Little Compton, R.I., since the 1940s, when her grandfather first rented the property, she said. The family bought the home in 1943, she added, and has been traveling here for family outings ever since.
Peter Goldberg Photography…

Ms. Arnold, 51, co-owns the property with her siblings. One of the highlights of the property is that it protrudes farther south than other homes in the area, and as a result, 'you really see this incredible panoramic view,' she said.
Peter Goldberg Photography…

One of Ms. Arnold's favorite spots in the house is the wraparound deck. Visible from the property are the Elizabeth Islands, a big game fishing area, and the Sakonnet lighthouse.
Peter Goldberg Photography…

The Sakonnet lighthouse, pictured, is a familiar landmark for locals, Ms. Arnold said, and 'an important member of our community in Little Compton.' It is visible from several vantages along the home's porch, she said.
Peter Goldberg Photography…

'The house is always bathed in sunlight, no matter what time of day it is,' Ms. Arnold said.
Peter Goldberg Photography…

Ms. Arnold is a filmmaker best known for her documentary 'Buddy: The Rise and Fall of America's Most Notorious Mayor,' which follows the political career of Vincent 'Buddy' Cianci, the former mayor of Providence, R.I. The home, which measures roughly 3,900 square feet, was built in the early 1900s.
Peter Goldberg Photography…

The home is furnished with some of the family's cherished memories, Ms. Arnold said—like a sailfish hoisted over the fireplace. Ms. Arnold's mother, recently deceased, was an avid fisher, she says, who once caught a prizewinning blue marlin in the Bahamas that measured 13 feet. The tail of that fish can be seen on the wall opposite the window, she said.
Peter Goldberg Photography…

About five years ago the family began renting the home for short-term stays in the summer months, Ms. Arnold said. One of their tenants was singer-songwriter Rufus Wainwright, according to his publicist, Bianca Bianconi. He rented out the property to work on his opera, 'Prima Donna,' she said. He stayed in September of 2008 and rented again in 2009, Ms. Arnold said.
Peter Goldberg Photography…

'I had the pleasure of staying in the house for two summer seasons,' Mr. Wainwright wrote in an email. 'I both composed several scenes of my first opera there, Prima Donna, plus had quality time with my Mother who sadly passed away not long after our special Little Compton time. It was the perfect place for extreme work and intense and meaningful pleasure. Good vibes all around,' he wrote.
Peter Goldberg Photography…

The home includes seven bedrooms and 3½ bathrooms, according to the listing. The master bedroom is shown. Having so many bedrooms was a boon to the family, Ms. Arnold said, since the home was such a gathering place in the summer. She and her siblings are selling the home, because most of them now live too far from Rhode Island to regularly enjoy the property.
Peter Goldberg Photography…

This third-floor bedroom, which includes a balcony, has some of the best views on the property, Ms. Arnold said. 'When you lie on any of the beds, it feels like you're on a ship,' because of the water views and the sound of the waves. 'As a kid, I would pretend I was on a boat.'
Peter Goldberg Photography…

The home includes five wood-burning fireplaces, hardwood flooring downstairs and pine flooring on the upper floors, she said. The siblings and their family have taken 'meticulous care' of the house over the years, and have undergone periodic renovations on the property.
Peter Goldberg Photography…

The more than ½-acre property includes a detached garage with an upstairs space that could be used as an apartment. As children, 'on rainy days, we'd have forts up there,' she recalls. Ms. Arnold was married on the property three summers ago.
Peter Goldberg Photography…

One of the most picturesque times of the year to stay at the home is in September, Ms. Arnold said, when the harvest moon seems to double in size. Ms. Arnold's photographer husband, Peter, took this photo of the home at dusk. 'He jumped in the car, he ran out to the rocks and got it just in the nick of time,' she said.
Peter Goldberg Photography…

The home was listed in October for just under $3 million with Judy Chace with Mott & Chace Sotheby's International Realty.
Peter Goldberg Photography…